This clarification of the 2014 guidance was a direct result of the advocacy by ASCRS, AAO, and OOSS. In their statement, CMS noted that IUSS is the term currently accepted to describe the process for steam sterilizing an instrument that is needed immediately and is not intended to be stored for later use and that allows for minimal or no drying after the sterilization cycle. IUSS is not acceptable for use as a routine method of sterilization. It replaces the much less precise and outdated term “flash sterilization.”

CMS emphasized that IUSS is not the same thing as “short cycle” sterilization, which is a form of terminal sterilization that is acceptable for routine use for a wrapped/contained load where pre-cleaning of instruments is performed according to the manufacturers’ instructions and the load meets the device manufacturer’s instructions for use (IFU), includes use of a complete dry time, and is packaged in a wrap or rigid sterilization container validated for later use. CMS stated “use of short cycle sterilization is particularly common in facilities that perform eye surgery and is acceptable when all IFU (i.e. sterilizer, device, and container manufacturer’s) are followed.”

The Academy, ASCRS, and OOSS have also convened an expert panel to update existing guidelines regarding the cleaning and sterilization of ophthalmic instruments. If you have questions, please contact Nancey McCann, ASCRS/ASOA Director of Government Relations, at nmccann@ascrs.org.